Franchises are king in Hollywood nowadays, more than ever before. Every studio is looking to utilize its biggest brands to bolster their yearly slates, with sequels, spinoffs, prequels, and reboots all steadily in development. The 2026 movie calendar has no shortage of franchise films as a result.
Some of the biggest movie series of all time, like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars, have highly anticipated releases coming. There are also classic and modern horror franchises, those in the action or sci-fi variety, as well as animation, that are hoping to remain relevant with 2026 audiences.
Here are all the movie franchises releasing new installments in 2026.
Greenland
- Greenland 2: Migration — January 9, 2026
Gerard Butler returns to a post-apocalyptic landscape with the second entry in the Greenland franchise. Greenland 2: Migration also debuts on January 9 in theaters and shows the Garrity family’s attempt to survive another globe-trotting adventure to find safety.
28 Years Later
- 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple — January 16, 2026
Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s zombie franchise is back in 2026, with 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple releasing on January 16. The fourth film in the series overall is the second part in a planned trilogy, continuing the story after 28 Years Later‘s ending.
Silent Hill
- Return to Silent Hill — January 23, 2026
A new entry in the Silent Hill franchise comes out on January 23, too. The third installment overall, Return to Silent Hill, is an adaptation of the video game Silent Hill 2, with original director Christophe Gans returning to helm the entry.
The Strangers
- The Strangers – Chapter 3 — February 6, 2026
The cult-classic horror franchise The Strangers gets one more entry in 2026. Lionsgate and Renny Harlin’s trilogy reboot concludes with The Strangers — Chapter 3 on February 6, bringing the franchise’s total length to five movies.
I Can Only Imagine
- I Can Only Imagine 2 — February 20, 2026
Eight years after the original faith-based true story film came out, Lionsgate has a sequel coming out, with I Can Only Imagine 2 dated for February 20. It follows the next chapter in the life of Bart Millard, the lead singer for MercyMe.
Scream
- Scream VII — February 27, 2026
The iconic Scream franchise returns with its seventh movie in 2026, as Paramount has Scream 7 dated for February 27. The new film brings Neve Campbell back as Sidney Prescott to face another mysterious Ghostface killer.
Ready Or Not
- Ready or Not 2: Here I Come — March 27, 2026
Scream queen Samara Weaving turned Ready or Not into a sleeper hit in 2019, and seven years later, she’s back as the blood-soaked Grace le Domas. Ready or Not 2: Here I Come pairs her up with Kathryn Newton as they evade death together on March 27.
Super Mario
- The Super Mario Galaxy Movie — April 3, 2026
Nintendo’s super plumber officially achieves movie franchise star status in 2026. Three years after The Super Mario Bros. Movie‘s massive success, Universal and Illumination have The Super Mario Galaxy Movie slated for April 3.
The Mummy
- The Mummy — April 17, 2026
While we have to wait longer for Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz’s The Mummy 4, the IP gets a new rendition in 2026. Evil Dead Rise director Lee Cronin partnered with Blumhouse to put a fresh spin on the mummy character that has an April 17 release date.
The Devil Wears Prada
- The Devil Wears Prada 2 — May 1, 2026
Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt are all back for the long-awaited The Devil Wears Prada follow-up. Disney has given The Devil Wears Prada 2 a May 1 release date, making Miranda Priestly, Andy Sachs, and Emily Charlton’s returns the start of the summer movie season.
